WASHINGTON, D.C.-Along with the 160 other men who study for the priesthood at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD, I attended the Papal Mass held at Nationals Stadium in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, April 17.
We started the day at 4:30 a.m., when the buses departed for RFK Stadium. From there, we were bused to the new Nationals Stadium, where we spent several hours waiting for the pope to arrive. Being so early afforded me an opportunity to get excellent seats (about 10 rows back from altar), as well as to get some pictures with my classmates in front of the sanctuary.
When the popemobile finally entered the stadium, the crowd broke out into wild applause and everyone was cheering, “Viva il Papa!” The feeling was absolutely electric. The choir began singing a bombastic rendition of “Tu Es Petrus,” a setting of the Biblical passage from the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus entrusts Peter with the care of the Church: “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church” (Matt 16:18).
Truly, Peter had come among us, and the exuberant response at his entrance reflected the desire of the Church in America to have Peter close to us, to listen to him, and to have our faith strengthened by him. I was able to get incredibly close to the popemobile, and figured that that would probably be the extent of my luck, but I was actually able to get even closer to the Holy Father at the end of the Mass, and was able to reach out and touch him.
The pope’s homily was incredible. While he rightly acknowledged the wounds of clerical sexual misconduct which have so deeply marred and disfigured the Church, he also made it clear that his main purpose in coming to the United States was to confirm our faith in Jesus Christ, the true and only hope of the world. What a simple message from such an erudite and learned man. The unfair caricature of Joseph Ratzinger as the unrelenting head of the Church’s “doctrinal task force” was giving way to the true image of Benedict, the loving shepherd and pastor of the Church. As one of my classmates from Wichita commented after the Mass, “I have always respected the pope, but he remained somewhat separated from me. Now I can I say that I truly love him as a spiritual Father.” I think that these words adequately reflect the sentiments of many American Catholics and non-Catholics alike, who have come to respect and admire the pope over these past few days. Truly he is the “Holy Father” of us all.
Aside from being a general confirmation of my faith, being so close to the pope also helped me to hear anew my own call from the Lord: to set aside my own ambitions and plans, and to follow him without reserve as a priest. My vocation was strengthened and invigorated, and my brother seminarians expressed similar reactions. In New York, the pope addressed seminarians when he said: “All of you have a special place in my heart. Never forget that you are called to carry on, with all the enthusiasm and joy that the Spirit has given you, a work that others have begun, a legacy that one day you too will have to pass on to a new generation. Work generously and joyfully, for he whom you serve is the Lord!”
I have listened to the media speculate for days now as to why the pope has elicited the kind of response we have seen from so many people. I believe that whether people can articulate it or not, they are able to intuit that closeness to Peter is closeness to Christ himself. Among the apostles, it was Peter who first acknowledged Jesus as Messiah and Lord. Peter still proclaims this message to the world today, through the voice and ministry of Pope Benedict XVI. To be close to him is to be close to Christ, and there was no greater gift Benedict could give the Church in America than just that: a newfound intimacy with Jesus Christ, true and only hope of the world.
